Digital Rights Management (DRM) provide protection of digital media content, based on requiring a user to provide a license key, assigned to the digital media content, before the user can view the digital media content. The license key may be embedded on a tangible medium such as a compact disc; the license key also may be supplied by an online vendor (e.g., a movie rental service) that allows the user to download the rental movie to a local personal computer for viewing, where the license key expires 24 hours after the first use, or 30 days after acquisition if not used; the license key also may be renewed based on the user purchasing a monthly subscription service with the online vendor.
Digital Video Discs (DVDs) can have encrypted video content that require a specialized player for viewing a movie encoded on the DVD: user interface controls (e.g., fast forward, Skip, etc.) of the DVD player can be disabled until the user finishes watching the commercials preceding the movie. Example forms of encryption include DIVX format and encryption from Cinea, a subsidiary of Dolby laboratories. Broadcast media companies also can offer online viewing of television shows/video programs with commercials that require a custom media player, requiring a user to watch the commercials.